Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Ipswich

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipswich: $2,037 a month against $2,520 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Ipswich
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Ipswich Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,520

/mo nomad

Ipswich

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane and in Ipswich

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brisbane and in Ipswich actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,520 per month in Brisbane vs $2,037 in Ipswich, rent included.

Brisbane $2,520
Ipswich $2,037

A couple spends around $3,730 per month in Brisbane vs $2,901 in Ipswich, rent included.

Brisbane $3,730
Ipswich $2,901

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Brisbane vs $3,766 in Ipswich, rent included.

Brisbane $4,940
Ipswich $3,766

Brisbane costs about 24% more than Ipswich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Brisbane and Ipswich sit above the global median – Brisbane by 87%, Ipswich by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 A$25.29

$31.50 A$45.33

-44.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 A$101

$74.1 A$107

-5.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.18 A$16.09

$9.98 A$14.36

12.02%

Cappuccino

$4.26 A$6.13

$4.54 A$6.53

-6.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 A$4.15

$3.92 A$5.64

-26.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.60

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.30

$9.04 A$13.01

-5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 A$11.66

$7.61 A$10.94

6.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 A$2.33

$2.42 A$3.48

-33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.83

$2.37 A$3.41

12.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.17

$2.22 A$3.19

-0.90%

Eggs

$4.93 A$7.10

$7.14 A$10.27

-30.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$7.32 A$10.53

23.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 A$13.01

$8.24 A$11.86

9.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 A$19.94

$14.05 A$20.22

-1.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 A$5.92

$3.37 A$4.86

21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.32

$2.57 A$3.70

16.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.18

$2.85 A$4.10

2.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 A$7.01

$3.76 A$5.41

29.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.95

$1.99 A$2.87

37.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.51

$2.05 A$2.95

19.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.46 A$3.54

-2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 A$1.76

$1.78 A$2.56

-31.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.84 A$55.9

$44.60 A$64.2

-12.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 A$17.78

$22.31 A$32.11

-44.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.37

$6.21 A$8.93

-17.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 A$7.04

$7.15 A$10.28

-31.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.68 A$29.76

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 A$4.39

$2.18 A$3.14

39.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 A$2.55

$1.56 A$2.25

13.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.12 A$59.2

$36.12 A$52.0

13.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.08

$1.47 A$2.11

-1.36%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.7K A$38.4K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.8K A$39.9K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$159 A$228

$90.9 A$131

74.73%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.86 A$37.21

$30.70 A$44.18

-15.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 A$86.8

$63.2 A$90.9

-4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 A$89.1

$17.21 A$24.76

259.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 A$32.93

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$25.06

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,928 A$2,774

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 A$121

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.85 A$64.5

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 A$159

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$157

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 A$2,773

$1,026 A$1,476

87.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 A$1,906

$1,016 A$1,463

30.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,276 A$4,714

$1,416 A$2,038

131.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 A$3,261

$1,402 A$2,018

61.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,315 A$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,955 A$8,569

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,100 A$5,900

$4,146 A$5,966

-1.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.98

-2.84%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Brisbane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.6%

Ipswich

$1K 49.9% 23.3% $308

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$357 14.2%

Ipswich

$384 18.9% 7.5% $27

Eating Out

Brisbane

$306 12.1%

Ipswich

$423 20.8% 38.2% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$245 9.7%

Ipswich

$185 9.1% 24.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$157 6.2%

Ipswich

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$97 3.8%

Ipswich

$17 * 0.9% 82.2% $80

Getting Around

Brisbane

$34 1.4%

Ipswich

$11 * 0.6% 66.4% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,927 in Brisbane versus $1,026 in Ipswich. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1% higher in Ipswich, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in Brisbane versus $74.0 in Ipswich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $384 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Ipswich

🕒 Local time

17:47 5:47 PM

Same time as Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

229,208

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Brisbane Ipswich 31 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brisbane vs Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 24% more than Ipswich, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,781 per month in Brisbane and $3,055 in Ipswich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ipswich, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,520 in Brisbane and $2,037 in Ipswich. That's a gap of about 24%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Brisbane – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ipswich, where all-in costs run around $2,037, than in Brisbane at $2,520. In Ipswich it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ipswich – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ipswich. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.